Particularly when rigging cut baitfish, the addition of scent can re-invigorate a chunk that’s been in the water for a while, replacing the powerful juices that attract fish and trigger bites. ![]() It’s why many anglers choose to enhance their presentations with a favorite scent additive. But cats can also be highly sensitive — and selective — to the tastes of the baits they choose to bite. Most folks know that catfish are capable of sniffing out choice morsels of food even at great distances, and even in highly turbid water. A guy I was fishing by caught a 44lb flat that way a couple weeks ago, the flats lay in the muddy water and ambush food in the clearer water. Favorite spots in these conditions are the back sides of big logjams right on the current break, or the mouth of feeder creeks that are backed up right on the clearer side of the mudline from the main current. Look for current tunnels and eddies that accumulate food and offers a place to rest just out of the fast waters. This bounty of food is a hayday for cats, but the current is a hassle for them as well. The big fish are on the move. During this high fast current bait food of many types gets dislodged and flows down the channels and rushing over rocks. With sponsors like Toyota Trucks, Coca-Cola, and Plano Tackle to name a few it’s probably safe to say that Catfish tournaments have already gotten popular.īig Cat Quest Founder Ken Freeman says that despite the recession, “we continue to get sponsor calls and interest from cities that want to host one of our tournaments…we couldn’t do it without them and the anglers.Rain and the river is up a bit. They’ve won more tournaments than any other team and are the first Catfish team to bag over $100,000 in winnings. These anglers should know how to catch Cats in adverse conditions. They kept some lines out, just in case and caught their fourth fish of the day. The anglers only anchored an hour to stow gear and prepare for the ride back to the weigh-in. “The bite was real soft and you really had to hang on as we drifted by the structure….it was full contact fishing this time” stated King. They rigged large Skipjack Shad on Daiichi 7/0 hooks with just four ounce sinkers. The husband and wife team simply climbed back into their boat and fished the rest of the tournament, bruises and all.Ĭatfish guides Phil King and Tim Haynie revealed that drifting and pitching was the best technique for them. One team was thrown from their boat after they hit a “sandbar” that was an “island” before the river climbed 12 feet. One team ruined a prop and another team limped in with a disfigured prop that hit a tree. Several anglers lost their anchors to debris as the waters rose. How tough was the river to fish with these conditions? Trophies were beautiful bronzed Catfish sculptures on a marble base. Their prizes included a new Oquawka boat and trailer, electronics, a $1,000 Bass Pro Shops gift card, plus $2,000 in cash. ![]() ![]() “We’d won here before and I wasn’t about to miss a chance at another championship” stated Haynie. Harris actually fished with them at the last championship they’d won on the river.įreeman revealed that Haynie delayed major surgery to fish the championship and was in a lot of pain as he hoisted the massive fish into the boat. ![]() They also dedicated the win to their fishing buddy, Leland Harris who passed away just months ago. King and Haynie graciously thanked Big Cat Quest Founder, Ken Freeman for running a professional Catfish trail and their sponsors. Second place anglers Phil King and Tim Haynie of Corinth, MS adjusted their strategy and caught another 121 pounds of fish for a total of 234.75 pounds. Angler’s tactics changed yet again on day two as the river climbed another two feet overnight.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |